Jutland 100 – MHN Offers Sneak Preview of New Landmark Exhibit

Britain’s National Museum of the Royal Navy and the Imperial War Museum are lifting the curtain on an epic exhibit commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Jutland. (Image source: Photo Album belonging to Admiral Sir David Beatty, 1916)

“The exhibition represents the single largest collection of items from the battle ever assembled.”

Indeed, the curators of the exhibit want visitors to appreciate the significance of the massive naval clash, which was fought in the North Sea on May 31, 1916.

While many may find the show’s tagline, “the battle that won the war,” controversial, the engagement did leave the Kaiser’s High Seas Fleet considerably weaker allowing the Royal Navy to maintain the blockade that eventually brought Germany to its knees.

The museum, which sits in a purpose-build building opposite HMS Warrior boasts 320 artifacts, including many pieces from the private collections of the families of admirals Jellicoe, Sheer and Beatty. In fact, the show represents the single largest collection of Jutland objects ever assembled in one place.

Casualties from HMS Tiger on HMS Plassy, 1916. (Image courtesy of the NMRN)

A ship’s bell from HMS Tiger. The British battlecruiser was hit six times in seven minutes at Jutland. (Image Source: Scott Addington)

The exhibit is housed in its own building in the heart of the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. (Image Source: Scott Addington)

More than 1,200 men’s lives ended in the blink of an eye as HMS Queen Mary explodes at Jutland.

A preview of the augmented reality app available for visitors. (Image Source: Scott Addington)

Nick Jellicoe, grandson of the famous admiral, delivering the dress uniform of Sir John Rushworth Jellicoe to the NMRN exhibition April 2016, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, (Image courtesy of the NMRN)

Enemy fleet sighted. A dramatization of one of the key moments of the Battle of Jutland. (Image Source: Scott Addington)

A salvaged hatch from HMS Hampshire. The warship survived the battle, only to strike a mine en route to Russia five days later. One of her doomed passengers was Lord Kitchener. (Image Source: Scott Addington)

1. Binoculars belonging to Commander William Loftus Jones, captain of HMS Shark, who dies at Jutland. (Image courtesy of the NMRN)

HMS Barham ring and dog mascot, image collected by George Malcolmson printed by Sadler and Renouf. (Image courtesy of the NMRN)

(Image Source: Scott Addington)

One of the lifelike models on display at the Jutland exhibit. (Image Source: Scott Addington)

(Image Source: Scott Addington)

Among the many items on display are Jellicoe’s own uniform, an original telegram to Admiral Sheer from Kaiser Wilhelm II congratulating the naval commander on his victory, as well as an assortment of battle ensigns that flew atop of the mastheads of the ships that fought at Jutland, including a massive 16-foot banner from HMS Bellerophon.

Indeed, size is a recurring theme throughout the exhibition. One of the main things the museum is trying to get across to visitors is the sheer scale of the battle. The raw numbers are staggering: 250 ships, 105,000 men in action, 25 vessels lost, 8,500 men killed. In fact, the number of sailors and ships that took part exceeds the combined strength of all Europe’s navies today.

To help put it all into perspective, the Jutland exhibit draws on the latest in multimedia technology. Large, colourful information displays feature archival photos, stunning battle graphics and cinematic dramatizations of the battle’s key events: like when a British scout plane first catches sight of the German fleet or the view from the bridge of HMS Lion at the very moment she takes a direct hit. Personal accounts from sailors who fought on both sides round out the multimedia portion.

Among the highlights of the Jutland exhibition are three actual guns that saw action at the battle. They include a weapon from the German destroyer B98 and pieces from HMS Opal and HMS Narbourgh.

The final touch to the museum is an augmented reality (AR) tour of HMS Caroline, which currently is open to the public in Belfast. Visitors can download a free app when they enter the museum building and enjoy a 3D virtual tour as they learn key facts about the battle and the ship itself. Designed in conjunction with the clever chaps behind the online game World of Warships, the museum definitely succeeds in bringing history right up to date.

36 Hours: Jutland 1916, The Battle That Won the War opens May 19 and runs through 2019. It’s a must-see for anyone interested in the First World War, fighting ships or history in general.

From the MHN Archives

“The famous city on the Tiber certainly had its share of foes. So behold: Ten of Rome’s most hated (and feared) enemies!” AT ITS PEAK, the Roman Empire was home to as many as 90 million people. Territory under Rome’s control…Read …